Protecting device for books.



B. M. FLETCHER. PROTEGTING DEVIGE POR BOOKS. '.APPLIOAT'ION FILED JAN. 14, 41911. 1,021.,832 Patented Apr'. 2, 1912.

' anw-m5 vill/111vllllI/lllll/l/ll//lllll/ BERNARD MORLEY FLETCHER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND'.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR BOOKS.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application led January 14, 1911. Sera1 No. 602,716. f

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known t-hat I, BERNARD MOELEY FLETCHER, subject of the King of England, residing at London, `in England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protecting Devices for Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to protecting devices for books and is more especially intended for use with books from the edges of which project tags or reference labels mounted upon certain of the pages.

The object of this invention is to afford protection to the projecting tags or labels and the edges of the book and prevent damage when such book is for instance carried in a persons pocket.

A protecting device for the front edges of books according to this invention comprises a shield or trough-like member of such dimensions as to receive and inclose comparatively tightly the front edges of the book and a small portion of its cover. Where the index tags or'labels project from the front edges ,of the book to an equal extent, the trough-like member is of such dimensions that the front edges of the tags make contact with the bottom of the trough. Since the front edges of all the tags simultaneously bear against the "bottom of the trough, protection will be alforded them and the risk of their being broken or bent obviated.

In some cases, Where the book is bound in flexible covers and intended to* be carried in the pocket and when the tags do not necessarily project to an equal extent, stops may be formed in the bottom of the trough to make contact with the front edges of the pages or covers of the book and limit the extent to which the front edges of the book and its cover enter the trough. In this'way a clearance space will be maintained between the front edges of the tags and the bottom of the trough. The stopslmay be formed in various ways, for instance, by disposing within the shield transverse strips of the material from which the otherportions of the shield are made, or by inserting blocks, and the stops are so positioned near the ends of the trough as to prevent their coming into contact with the inde'x tags.-

The device can be formed of any suitable material as, for instance, Celluloid, vulcanite,

metal, wood, cardboard or other substance and may be covered with leather or otherwise ornamented if desired.

The natural springiness of the material from which the trough is formed is, as a rule, lsuiiicient to insure the latter being retained in the correct position but, as an additional security, elastic bands may be attached to the ywalls of the trough and adapted to encircle the book, or the trough may have one or more gripping members in the form of lingers struck up from or formed as projections on the surface of one or more of its walls.

In the accompanying drawings which show some forms of protecting device according to this invention, Figure l is a per-` spective view of a trough, Fig. 2 is a section showing the edges of a book inserted within the trough. Fig. 3 shows in perspective a portion of a modiiied form of trough in po- -sition on a book, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV, IV of Fig. 8.

In the construction illustrated the device is formed of Celluloid and comprises a trough A, the dimensions of which are such that the front edges and a small portion of the cover of a book B may be inserted therein.

The book shown in`V Fig. 2 has index tags Blprojecting beyond lthe front edges of its cover and, to prevent these from comingA into contact with the bottom of the trough A, stops C, also of Celluloid, are mounted within the latter at either end thereof to limit the extent to which the front edges of the boo-k enter the trough. To this end, the free edges of the stops engage the front edges of the leaves of the book, the ends of the stops C being cut away as at C1 to prevent the projecting edges of the cover D making Contact with them. In cases where the tags all project to an equal extent, the stops C may be omitted and the edges of the tags yallowed to make contact with the bottom of the trough. In the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, elastic or other bands E` are attached to the side walls of the trough, these bands being adapted to passed and secured by stitching or the like as shown in Fig. 2.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is particularly intended for use/in connection with books having stiff covers and provided with projecting tags B1. In this construction the stops C are not cut away as at C1 but are of equal depth throughout so that the front edges of the cover D make contact with these stops, which thus prevent the projecting tags from touching the bottom of the trough.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, gripping members formed in the Walls of the trough are shown as an alternative to the elastic band seen in Fig. 2. These gripping members are in the form of fingers F which are made in one with the trough, a portion of the wall being removed which enables the under-surface of the ngers to bear upon the cover D of the book as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described protecting device for books, consisting of a trough like member adapted to receive the front edges of the covers and leaves of a book and provided interiorly with means for preventing contact between it and tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book. j

2. The herein described device for protecting books, consisting of a trough-like member adapted to receive the front edges of the covers and leaves of a book, the engagement between said device and the book preventing contact of said device with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves and covers of the book.

3. The herein described protecting device for books, comprising a trough-like member adapted to receive the' front edges of the covers and leaves of a book and stops within said member adapted to engage the front portion of the book to limit the extent to which the latter can enter said member and prevent contact of said member with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book.

4. The herein described protecting device for books, comprising a trough like member, adapted to receive the front edges of a book without contacting with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book, and means for engaging the back of the book to retain said member in place thereon.

5. The herein described protecting device for books, comprising a trough like member adapted to receive the front edges of a book, stops which limit the extent to which the edges of the bookcan enter the trough and prevent Contact of the front wall thereof with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book, and means for engaging the book to retain the trough like member in position thereon.

6. The herein describedv protecting device for books, comprising a trough like member adapted to receive the front edges of a book, stops which limit the extent to which the edges of the book can enter the trough and prevent contact of the front wall thereof with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book, and yielding devices carried by said trough like member and adapted to engage the book to retain said trough like member in place.

7. The herein described protecting device for books, comprising a trough like member adapted to receive the front edges of a book, stops which limit the extent to which the edges of the book can enter the trough and prevent contact of the front wall thereofl with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book, and elastic members connected with said trough like member and adapted to engage the book and retain said trough like member in place.

8. The herein described protecting device for books, comprising a trough like member adapted to receive the front edges of a book, stops which limit the extent to which the edges of the book can enter t-he trough and prevent contact of the front wall thereof with tags projecting forwardly from the leaves of the book, and elastic members attached to said trough like member and adapted to encircle the book, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification lin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD MORLEY FLETCHER.

Vitnesses:

MAURICE STRODE, V. A. BooRMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

